Gamifies team building.

Lightrunners is the result of a yearlong exploration as part of my MFA thesis. It was made in tandem with Tom Sarachan and Zach Barash. My responsibilities included gameplay design, research, and creative director.

To achieve our desired player relationship, Lightrunners inverts other genres and cooperative games. In fighting games, you exist in a cycle of yomi: reading and predicting your opponent’s moves in order to outmaneuver and dominate them. In Lightrunners, you read and predict your teammate’s actions in order to support them. In most cooperative games, skillful play is loud; players talk constantly. Skillful play in Lightrunners is quiet; players are in constant communication with each other through the game itself. Each twitch of the joystick, every pass of the ball, every block and death, are part of the players’ conversation.

Shown as part of the NYU GameCenter End of Year Show 2017. Additional art by Rizky Winanda and Anuva Aranee. Music by Joel Esher.